New Designers shake up old timers

There’s a lot at stake for graduates at this week's New Designers show. Can they inject new life into our jaded design world?

The heatwave has subsided but the design industry is sizzling this week at New Designers, the largest graduate show in London, which unveils tomorrow's creative generation. Even the most jaded of old-time designers can’t help but feel revitalized, if not threatened, by the young design talent fresh out of college.

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Until the show closes on 19 July, a palpable excitement (and relief) is resonating across the Business Design Centre in Islington where New Designers is on for its 24th year. Fledgling designers, yet to become cynical or tarnished by dreary business practices, gather to showcase their portfolios. Recent graduates hailing from all creative courses from architecture and animation to fashion and furniture join the melting pot of creativity. The aim? Get noticed, or "picked up" in industry speak, by buyers and convert their design dreams into a financial reality.

"New Designers definitely has a big buzz because it's pretty much what everyone has been working towards in the final year of their degree," remembers Danielle Eveleigh, who exhibited there in 2007.

She is well positioned to judge the latest collections; it is her job to scour graduate shows and hand-pick emerging British designers for the online mydeco design boutique. These kind of shows can be make or break for nascent talent especially when this financial climate makes it super hard to crack into the market. Prospective employers, the press and buyers from Heal's, The Conran Shop, Debenhams, John Lewis and the Arcadia Group are out on force. Each is on a gung ho mission to hunt out tomorrow’s big thing.

The pressure is tangible as graduates realize that today's leading contemporary designers, like Ella Doran, Matthew Williamson and Thomas Heatherwick, launched at New Designers. A derivative of the show One Year On showcases a select few who, 12 months since graduation, have impressed celebrated design icon Thorsten van Elten - of which more next week.

The textile tutors at Glasgow School of Art will be in high spirits on their train back north next week. A few of their First Class graduates Paul Roden and Francesca Martin were singled out as exceptionally promising. Sir Christopher Frayling, rector of the RCA awarded the prestigious accolade of BDC New Designer of the Year to Roden who creates textiles inspired by the fairgrounds of the 1930s and 1970s. A mature student and former musician Roden feels empathy with the nomadic fairground workers. His peer Martin, also a First Class Glasgow textile graduate - who impressed judges with her floral designs and graphic illustrations - took home two awards, both the Harlequin award and the Tiger print award.

While textile prints from Scotland fared particularly well, attention-grabbing shapes emanated from every corner of the sprawling exhibition centre. Notably unique was Lee Simmons' "Encased jug", a sterling silver and titanium round metal jug with curved fins clawing at the centre. Simmons, a recent graduate from Sheffield Hallam University won The Goldsmith's Company New Designers Award. Now it’s just a matter of time - and hoping - before commissions flood in from major buyers.

On the other end of the texture spectrum, visitors pawed over the "Squeeze Me" range, tactile silicone cup holders by Emma Tiplady, a Brighton graduate. Unlike anything else, they mould into different shapes like a stress ball - and most importantly for Tiplady's career, won her the Pulse Award. She hopes to capture the audience of Habitat and iwantoneofthose.com.

"New Designers is a place to spot the next big thing and see forward thinking products where industry constraints do not stifle the design process," says illustrator and print designer Ashley Thomas who visits the show annually. "I am always blown away by the quality and professionalism of the work; creative thoughts are able to flourish there."

"There is quite a lot of pressure on getting noticed and getting as many industry contacts as possible," remembers Eveleigh. "It is ‘sold’ to graduates on the basis that this is their opportunity to find their next step after university."

Unknown yesterday, the winners of New Designers Awards are today the talk of the industry. Overnight, people refer to them as tomorrow’s designers and titles like ‘the next Starck or Conran’ are pinned to the young hopefuls. Similar to Susan Boyle’s overnight success on Britain’s Got Talent, these designers are thrust into the limelight, just a little (but not much) better prepared than the singer from West Lothian.

Older, more established designers need to watch out. While budget constraints and business deadlines sully their creative energy, the graduates of 2009 are hungry for work and bursting with energy. Their designs make people see the world with new eyes and best of all, keep practicing - and often jaded - designers on their toes.

Annie Deakin is Editor of mydeco.com